Generally, meat is for eating and not to be used as a toy. In this case, however, I think we can make an exception. Sweet Meats sells (vegetarian!) meat plushies, all made from and stuffed with a super-soft fleece. The varieties they sell include ham, t-bone and pork chops, as well as ribs and hot links. Most of the plushies are available in a "family size" for those who like their meat larger, too.

It seems like they would make an amusing gift for vegetarian friends, since no animals were harmed in the making of these meats, or a cute alternative to a teddy bear for a young carnivore-in-training. Can you imagine a little kid carrying around a plush steak instead of a security blanket? Adorable!

Nick posted about crocheted food a week ago, noting that it was far more popular than he had anticipated. Some of the creations were fantastic, but if you're not very crafty, it's going to be hard to fit in with your cupcake-crocheting friends. The solution is to get some pre-made play foods, like the ones available from Mahar Drygoods. Each of the food items is hand-crafted from soft felt and makes a great starting set for your budding chef because there is no risk of cooking-related injuries. The sets available include pancake and bacon breakfast set, a brown bag lunch (pictured), a dinner set and a pizza. Heck, they're cute for any chef. I know that I want the those pancakes!

Accessories combine fast food and fashion much more effectively than trying to turn french fries into clothing. Spiral and Circle offers a variety of cute, plush, food-themed accessories, including the coin purses shown above, a hamburger handbag and a hot dog eyeglass case. For anyone who isn't entirely comfortable carrying around a purse - though surely a large plush hamburger conveys an air of masculinity - they stock many other food related items, including a ball point pen disguised as a pizza and hamburger and pizza-shaped pillows. Could wearing your food instead of eating it become the next big diet trend?